Rugby: Turning nearly into really

Peter Russell. Photo / Getty Images

The Hurricanes in their earliest days were flakes. Wild buccaneers with a spirit of adventure but no guts and graft.

Theirs was a history riddled with the spectacular. A backline with Christian Cullen, Tana Umaga and Jonah Lomu could go boom at any time.

It could often go splat as well and between 1996 and 2002, the Hurricanes had one semifinal appearance to boast about.

It was hardly a return befitting the second biggest region in the country.

But the Hurricanes, other than 1997 when they clicked, couldn't find their feet under coaches Frank Oliver (1996-99) or Graham Mourie (2000-02).

Then Colin Cooper, the quietly-spoken former Taranaki coach, came along.

He was appointed after one season as Robbie Deans' deputy at the Crusaders and had an immediate impact.

Cooper took the Hurricanes to the semifinals in 2003 and again in 2005, before going one step further in 2006, when they lost the famed "fog" final to the Crusaders.

Again the Hurricanes made the last four in 2008 and 2009 and the idea of them being flakes had to be revised. What Cooper has given the franchise is stability, credibility and belief.

Cooper has got them up to within reach of the summit. Super 14 success, or at least consistency of performance, has helped build legacy systems within the wider region.

The Wellington Academy programme is recognised as one of the best in the country.

It is a prolific developer of talent - Robbie Fruean, Victor Vito, Jeremy Thrush, Piri Weepu and Neemia Tialata have all come through.

The fact the Hurricanes have lost seven of last year's squad to other New Zealand franchises is evidence they are over-subscribed - like Auckland once were. Wellington can't find contracts for all the players they develop.

The vultures now circle the Hurricanes, hoping to pick off some of those on the fringes. As frustrating as that is, it is an acknowledgement of their expertise.

But there is still one giant step to be made for the Hurricanes. They are perennial semifinalists. They need to become champions. They need to develop a mentality that says they are no longer content just to be in the last four.

The Hurricanes are just that little step down from the Crusaders and Bulls because they don't quite have that conviction. They seem too easily satisfied that they have done enough by making it into the last four.

All of which makes it imperative that they find the right coach to succeed Cooper, who will not seek reappointment when his contract expires after next year's campaign.

The future options for the Hurricanes are stark. They can either push on from where they are - take that final step to the summit where they become title winners.

Or they can regress, return to being the flakes of old. Even continual appearances in the semifinals would be considered a regression. In professional rugby, standing still is as good as going backwards.

So the question for the franchise to ask is which individual can instil the hard-nosed culture they need? Who can turn the franchise from nearly men into all the way men?

That's what this appointment is all about. The foundations are already in place. Most players come into the franchise with a strong technical grounding. Many have a good tactical grasp on the game, too. They are conditioned and in possession of sound professional attitudes.

The big gap is the psychological edge - that's the missing leg of the bar stool. Not only do the Hurricanes continually come up short but so too do Wellington.

In the same period Cooper has been involved with the Hurricanes, Wellington have made four provincial finals and lost them all.

Someone needs to get into the players' heads and there are two men who have shown themselves capable of positively affecting team culture and attitudes.

The first is Peter Russell. Hawke's Bay came up to the top flight with no Super 14 players.

In year one, they wallowed near the foot of the table. In year two, when Russell took over, they made the semifinals, as they have for three consecutive years.

This year, Russell has been at pains to stress to his players that is not enough - that they have to beat the heavyweights, not just run them close.

Dave Rennie at Manawatu is the other contender. He inherited a broken team in 2006. Morale had collapsed, players were disillusioned and they were staring down the barrel.

This year, they have been one of the most organised and inventive teams in the championship. They play with structure and confidence and a never-say-die spirit. Imagine what Rennie could do if he was let loose with the Hurricanes.

It's a big call for the Hurricanes. One they have to get right. But at least they have potential solutions and reason to believe they can move forwards.